Rhydian POV
"Arrested?" Thessaly's face goes white. "We're going to jail?"
"Not if I can help it." I'm already calling Larkin. He answers on the first ring. "We have a situation."
I explain quickly while Thessaly sits on my couch, shaking. Jett's filed false charges—claiming I assaulted him, that we defamed his character, that I "corrupted" Thessaly because she's barely legal. All lies, but with the Vex family's lawyers and money behind him, lies can become truth.
"I'll have our attorney meet you at the station," Larkin says grimly. "But boss, this is bad. Thorne's backing Jett's story. They're spinning this as you preying on an innocent girl to hurt the family."
"Because that's exactly what they want people to believe." I look at Thessaly, who's listening with growing horror. "Get me everything we have on Jett. Every girl he's hurt, every crime he's committed, every dirty secret. If they want war, we'll give them war."
I hang up. Thessaly stares at me with tears streaming down her face.
"This is my fault," she whispers. "I kissed you. I started this. You should just tell them I forced you—"
"Stop." I kneel in front of her, forcing her to meet my eyes. "Listen to me very carefully. You did nothing wrong. Jett's a liar who's using his family's power to destroy you because you dared to leave him. That's not your fault."
"But you're going to get arrested because of me—"
"I've been arrested before. I'll survive." I wipe her tears with my thumb, surprisingly gentle. "The question is: are you strong enough to survive this? Because it's going to get worse before it gets better."
She takes a shaky breath. "What do you mean worse?"
"Jett's going to tell everyone you seduced me. That you're a gold-digger after my money. The media will eat it up—young girl, older man, scandal." I need her to understand the reality. "Your name will be destroyed. Your friends will abandon you. Strangers will send you death threats. Can you handle that?"
Most eighteen-year-olds would crumble. Would run home crying. Would beg for mercy.
Thessaly straightens her spine. Wipes her tears. And says, "Teach me how to fight them."
Pride flares in my chest. This girl. This impossible, brave, infuriating girl.
"Then first lesson: never show weakness." I stand, pulling her up with me. "We go to that police station with our heads high. We tell the truth. And we make Jett regret ever coming after us."
The police station is chaos. Reporters crowd the entrance, cameras flashing. Someone leaked that we were coming.
"Ms. Crane! Is it true you seduced Rhydian Vex?"
"Mr. Vex! Did you assault your nephew?"
"How long have you been grooming her?"
Thessaly flinches at each question. I keep my arm around her shoulders, shielding her from the cameras as we push through.
Inside, Detective Chen waits. She's in her forties, hard-eyed, no-nonsense. Behind her stands Jett with his father Thorne.
My brother looks exactly like our father did—cold, powerful, merciless. He smiles when he sees me.
"Rhydian. It's been a while."
"Not long enough, Thorne."
"Still bitter about the exile?" Thorne's smile widens. "You did that to yourself. Stealing from the family, lying to Father—"
"Lies you invented," I interrupt calmly. "But we both know the truth."
Jett steps forward, face bruised from where I grabbed him. "You attacked me! In front of witnesses! And you kidnapped my girlfriend—"
"Ex-girlfriend," Thessaly says quietly but firmly. "We broke up. Remember? After you cheated on me at my birthday party?"
"That was a game!" Jett's face flushes. "You're making a big deal out of nothing!"
"You kissed another girl," Thessaly continues, voice shaking but determined. "Then called me names. Then posted a video calling me a whore. That's not nothing."
Detective Chen holds up a hand. "Everyone calm down. Let's do this properly." She looks at me. "Mr. Vex, you're being accused of assault and corruption of a minor—"
"She's eighteen," I interrupt. "Legally an adult."
"Barely," Thorne interjects. "My son says you've been grooming her for months. Taking advantage of her innocence—"
"That's a lie!" Thessaly explodes. "I met him tonight! At the club! And I kissed him first!"
Everyone goes silent. Thessaly's breathing hard, fists clenched, eyes blazing.
"You kissed him?" Detective Chen asks carefully.
"Yes. Because Jett humiliated me and I was angry and I wanted to hurt him back." Thessaly looks at Jett with pure fury. "You don't get to cheat on me, abuse me for two years, and then play victim when I finally fight back."
"Two years?" Detective Chen's eyes narrow. "You were dating when you were sixteen?"
"Yes," Thessaly says.
"And how old were you, Mr. Jett Vex?"
Jett's face pales. "Nineteen. But that's different—"
"Different how?" I smile coldly. "You were nineteen dating a sixteen-year-old. That's also a crime, nephew. Shall we file charges?"
Thorne's eyes flash with rage. He knows I've just checkmated them.
"This is ridiculous," Thorne snaps. "My son is the victim here—"
"Your son is a liar and an abuser," I say calmly. "And I can prove it."
The door opens. Larkin enters with our lawyer—and three girls I recognize from Jett's social media. Ex-girlfriends.
"These women have statements," our lawyer announces. "About Jett Vex's history of abuse, manipulation, and assault. All documented. All provable."
Jett's face goes from pale to green. "Those bitches are lying—"
"Don't." Detective Chen's voice is sharp. "Mr. Vex, I suggest you stop talking."
But Jett's panicking now. "This is a setup! My uncle's trying to destroy my family! He's been planning this for years—"
"Planning what?" I ask softly. "Planning to defend an eighteen-year-old girl from your abuse? Yes. Guilty as charged."
Detective Chen looks between us, clearly reassessing. "I think we need to have separate conversations. Mr. Jett Vex, Mr. Thorne Vex—you're in room one. Mr. Rhydian Vex, Ms. Crane—room two."
As they lead us to different rooms, Thorne leans close and whispers, "You just made the biggest mistake of your life, little brother. I will destroy you for this."
"You already destroyed me once," I whisper back. "I survived. Can you say the same?"
Four hours later, we emerge from the police station. No arrests. No charges. Detective Chen found too many holes in Jett's story and too much evidence of his abuse.
But Thorne's parting words echo in my mind: This isn't over.
Thessaly collapses against my car, exhausted. "Is it always like this? Fighting your family?"
"Usually worse," I admit.
"Great." She laughs bitterly. "What did I get myself into?"
My phone buzzes. A text from an unknown number. I open it.
It's a photo of Thessaly's house. Spray-painted across the front: WHORE LIVES HERE.
Below the photo: Leave my son alone or your little girlfriend pays.
I show Thessaly. She stares at it, tears forming.
"He's never going to stop," she whispers. "Is he?"
"No," I say honestly. "Thorne doesn't know how to stop. He'll keep coming until one of us is destroyed."
"Then what do we do?"
I look at this brave, broken girl who chose me over safety. Who stood up to the police and her abuser and my entire family without backing down.
And I make a decision that will either save us or damn us both.
"We stop playing defense," I say quietly. "And we attack first."
"How?"
I smile, and it's not a nice smile. "Your father worked for Thorne for fifteen years. You've seen the financial records. You know where the bodies are buried." I turn to face her fully. "Help me bring down the Vex empire. From the inside."
Thessaly's eyes widen. "You want me to betray my father's work? To destroy your own family?"
"They're not my family. They exiled me, remember?" I hold out my hand. "But you need to choose. Right now. Help me burn them down, or walk away and hope they show mercy."
She stares at my hand. At the choice I'm offering.
Behind us, headlights appear. A black car pulls up. The window rolls down, revealing Thorne's face.
"Last chance, Rhydian," he calls. "Leave Crescent Bay. Leave the girl. And I'll let you live."
I don't answer. I keep my hand extended to Thessaly.
She looks at Thorne. At me. At the future splitting in two directions.
Then she takes my hand.
"Let's burn it all down," she says.
Thorne's face goes dark. The car speeds away.
And I realize I've just recruited an eighteen-year-old girl into a war that will cost us everything.
But as I look at her fierce, determined face, I think maybe—just maybe—we can actually win.